Course Spotlight - EC104: The Wealth (and Poverty) of Nations: Global Economic Development Past and Present

We sat down with Alex, who studied EC104: The Wealth (and Poverty) of Nations: Global Economic Development Past and Present over the summer, to learn more about the course from her perspective. 

Why did you decide to attend LSE Summer School?

I always planned on studying abroad during college, but it can be tough to make it work as a pre-med student. I heard about the LSE Summer School from a college roommate. She gushed about her experience and told me she couldn’t recommend the programme enough. My friend said that the professors were so highly engaged and that London in the summer was unforgettable. I began looking at the course catalogue online and was quickly drawn to EC104. After chatting with the chair of the Economics Department at my home university, I learned that I could gain credit towards my minor from the LSE course, so that sealed the deal for me.

Why did you choose your course?

I am a biology major on a pre-medical track, so almost all of the courses I take are very science focused. I wanted to take a humanities course that still felt relevant to the issues I care about in medicine. I felt that the EC104 course description, focusing of the wealth and poverty of nations, aligned with what I was looking for and even though I am an economics minor, I appreciated that there were no strict pre-requisites.

Tell us about an average day as a student on your course.

My typical morning started with a morning run in London with a friend I met in my class. Then, I’d head back to my dorm (I stayed in High Holborn, one of LSE’S accommodation options, and highly recommend it!), get ready and head to my morning seminar. Some LSE courses have morning discussion (seminar) classes and afternoon lectures, like mine did, while others have morning lectures and afternoon classes. My friends from my seminar group and I would usually grab lunch after class before heading back to campus for our lecture. After finishing the lecture and class, I’d usually stroll through Covent Garden on my way back to my dorm and get dinner. I did my readings in my dorm in the evening, and then if time permitted, I would catch a show or get a drink with friends.

What was your favourite part of your course?

I adored the seminars, which were smaller-group discussion classes, so much. The teaching assistants that led these classes were absolutely fantastic and did an excellent job of facilitating lively debate and discussion.

What advice would you give to students considering your course?

Do the readings! You can only participate well in your seminar classes if you are prepared – and being prepared requires having a good grasp of the readings. It can feel like a lot of reading per night, but keeping up with it will make writing your midterm paper and studying for the final exam much easier.

What are your short-term professional goals, and how does your course contribute to these goals?

I plan to attend medical school after I complete my undergraduate degree, and am currently very interested in specialising in emergency medicine. I chose EC104 because I think inequality is present in any and every professional field, but especially across global medical care. I see myself doing international work at some point in my career, and I wanted to gain a clearer perspective on the history of global economic inequality.

Was meeting and talking to other students on your course easy?

Absolutely! Barely anyone at LSE knows each other prior to the course – take advantage of that! I would just go up to people, introduce myself, and ask them questions. You won’t hit it off and become best friends with every single person, but if you are willing to be a bit awkward at the beginning, it pays off tons in the end. I made several new friends in my LSE course that I still keep up with today!

What would be your top tip for future Summer School students?

Be engaged and don’t hesitate to ask questions. There were plenty of students on my course that had more experience with history and economics, but I didn’t let fear of looking under-informed on a particular issue or concept hold me back from taking advantage of the insight and knowledge of my professors.

How would you explain your course to someone who has never heard of it?

The modern world is starkly economically unequal. But how did we get here? EC104 takes you on a historical journey and uses an economic framework to explain the story of the world we experience today.

How has your course helped you in your undergraduate degree/career plans?

I came to my LSE course directly from Tanzania, where I had just completed a hospital internship in emergency medicine. I had also worked with the hospital’s mobile palliative care team. The consequences of economic inequality, particularly on healthcare, were fresh in my mind. My course helped me gain a global and historical perspective with which to reflect on my Tanzania experience and think forward to future global medical endeavours.

How did you find the British teaching style?

I adored it! It was definitely new and challenging, but I appreciated that the British teaching style didn’t sugar coat when providing feedback. I grew so much as a writer and student from the feedback I received, and I am very thankful for the instruction and constructive criticism offered in the essay mark-ups. I think one thing students coming from other systems should look at in advance is the grading system. I was shocked to learn that you can earn an ‘A’ even with scores in the 70s. I wish I had looked at this a bit more in advance so that I wouldn’t have had any momentary panic when I saw my first score!

 

This interview was written by one of our 2024 Student Ambassadors, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the summer school experience at LSE.